Still Callin' You Baby
by SomedayonBroadway
Summary: Maybe far away or maybe real near by. No matter how far, now matter how hard, they still call her baby. And all they want is her back in their arms.
1. chapter 1

**Hello! So I've been thinking about writing this fic for a while. I'm not sure how people are going to react to it but I just thought it would be a nice, sad kinda story. There is a lot of Jatherine in this one, for all of my fantastic reviewers who love Jatherine.**

 **Make sure to check out my other fanfics! Thank you!**

"I can't do it!" A woman yelled. She was currently being rushed through the empty streets of New York in the middle of the night by a young man, many other boys running behind them. "Jack, I can't do it!" She yelled again at the man, her breaths coming in short and fast.

"Breathe Ace!" The man, Jack, yelled back. "You can do this!" He insisted as he ran as fast as he could. "If anyone can do this, Katherine, it's you!" The man promised and he rounded a corner, a large medical building coming into view.

"God!" The boy in front of them shouted. His hand was being clutched onto by the woman and his face was trying very hard to not convey the pain that he was feeling. "Hurry up, Jack! She's gonna break my hand!" He yelled urgently.

"Can it, Race!" The woman screamed as they ran through the doors.

"Hey can we get some help over here?!" One of the older boys that had been running behind them called. The one with the crutch that stood the closest to a panicked Jack.

"Alright, alright, Ace," Race stuttered, "You know I love ya, but I can't go back there with ya. You gotta let go of my hand." The boy pleaded.

Some nurses ran out but Katherine shook her head and she, somehow, tightened her hold on Race's hand. "Oh God!" The boy yelled as his pain increased and he looked up to the other man for help.

Jack bent down to the woman he held up in his arms. "Hey." He whispered. "Hey, you're gonna do this." He assured, looking back at all of the boys behind him and then the two in front of him. "You've got your family here. They're rootin' for ya, Ace. You can do this, because you're the strongest person I know." He insisted as the woman's face screwed up in pain again and she let out a scream. Race yelped in surprise.

"Yeah," The boy with the crutch agreed. "I think Race can agree with that." He laughed, ignoring the older boy's glare. Then he moved over and gave the girl a big, optimistic smile and kissed her forehead. "We love you, Ace. You can do this."

Jack nodded his head at his friend's words and the girl he was carrying seemed to consider them. "It's gonna be okay, sweetheart." He assured.

Race gave the woman a quick kiss on the cheek. "Go make us proud, Plumber." Then, he felt some of the pressure on his poor hand lessen and he sighed in relief as he slipped it out of the woman's grasp.

Jack nodded, telling himself to breathe. He could do this. It would all be ok. He could do this. Before he even realized he was going into a state of shock, he felt two pairs of hands on his shoulders. He looked back to see those two boys, smiling at him, reassuring him everything would be alright, before he let himself be dragged into another room, leaving everyone else behind.

Race sat in the waiting room. His leg was shaking uncontrollably. Up and down, up and down, up and down. His hands ran over his lips in agitation as he heard the screams from the other room. Both from the woman and the man. It took the crippled boy next to him grabbing his leg and stopping it in its place to get him to take a deep breath. He wondered how the boy was so calm at that moment. But then he actually looked at the kid's features and saw everything that he was feeling inside.

"Is she ok?" A deep voice was heard from the entrance of the room. They all looked up at the well dressed man that ran in with some of the younger boys before another screech was heard from the other room.

Race stood as the gimp boy stood up, quickly. "No Crutchie. She's gonna be fine. I swear." As Race blocked his friend, the man tried to walk up closer to the door. "Davey!" The blond Italian boy called for help.

"Everybody sit down!" Another boy, tall, brunette, Davey, called as everyone began to get more and more nervous. "They're gonna be ok!" He assured them. "Mr. Pulitzer, she's gonna be alright. She's one of the strongest people I know-"

"Where are they?!" Another woman called as she waltzed into the room. "Is everything alright?"

"Miss Medda, everything's gonna be alright." Crutchie tried as the woman pushed past some of the boys, gently but purposefully. "It'll be over soon." He tried, reassuring everyone and himself that it would be ok.

Suddenly, cries were heard from the other room. High pitched screams. The first wails of the one they'd all been waiting for. And the room went absolutely silent in a anticipation. Race and Crutchie ran up to the door, just about ready to bust through it, right before it was opened and a dazed, yet satisfied and happy looking Jack walked out of it.

That was when all the questions broke loose. It was absolute madness. It took Jack a moment to process everything before he raised his hand and shouted, "Newsies of Manhattan!" Immediately the entire room went silent. "Make way for Mr. Pulitzer." He ordered. And as the crowd parted, an anxious looking man made his way to face him. Jack could barely keep the goofy grin off his face before he asked the question everyone had been waiting to hear. "Would ya like ta meet your granddaughter?"

 **I hope you guys liked this short little chapter. This is the only chapter of this that I have done, but if I get some people telling me to continue this, I definitely will. Remember that I love requests and reviews.**

 **Make sure tell me what you liked, what you didn't, what you'd change and what you'd improve by leaving me a review! Love ya babes!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi guys. I wasn't going to post this today. I though about waiting, but I just need something to cheer me up a little bit today. And I'm honestly so happy with the response I got to this story so that you so so much!**

 **Today, my family had to put down our dog. She had been apart of our family for almost fourteen years and she'd been apart of my life since I was three years old. I thought maybe if I posted this happy story right now, it might make me feel better. So thank you to those of you who reviewed and for those of you who want to read this story. Thank you so much! Reading your guys' reviews always puts a smile on my face.**

 **Be sure to go read my other fics! I would love it if you guys could review those as well. I'm always good for some suggestions! I love requests for one-shots and stories! Thank you!**

 **Enjoy this sweet chapter.**

Katherine laughed through her tears as she looked down at the bundle in her arms. There, in her lap, lay a beautiful baby girl. She had the most beautiful green eyes, showing off the features of her father perfectly. The woman held the baby close as she rocked her back and forth, smiling and wiping away her tears as four people walked into the room.

"Hi Daddy." She whispered as she cried her tears of joy. Her father ran up to her and embraced her fast. She pressed her head to her dad's chest and he held the back of her head. He gave her a quick kiss on the forehead before he pulled away and looked down at the baby.

Jack smiled as the man that had once been his greatest enemy looked down at his new grandchild with so much love and care. It wasn't ideal, but they were on better terms now. After all, Jack did work for Mr. Pulitzer as a artist in the paper. The old man didn't even notice as Jack sat on the wooden bed next to his wife and held her in his arms, also embracing the child in her lap. His child. His daughter.

"Do you want to hold her?" Katherine asked as she smiled down at the girl in her arms. She looked back up to see her father nod, tears filling up in his eyes. She carefully lifted up the baby, smiling briefly at the two other boys who stood behind Jack, and she whispered to the child. "This is your granddaddy." She said, a smile still on her face. Then she allowed her father to take the bundle from her arms.

The man looked down at the child. The girl was awake at the moment. She looked so confused, so curious to the new world around her. He saw his son-in-laws eyes looking back at him, only more innocent and full of child wonder. He saw his daughter's little smile look up at him and his heart skipped a beat. He was a grandfather to a beautiful baby girl and, even though he and the boy his baby girl had fallen for had their differences, he couldn't have been happier. "She's beautiful..." Pulitzer whispered with a care that none of the boys in the room knew he possessed. "Just like my daughter. Beautiful." He said, kissing the young woman on the head again.

"How're ya feelin', Kat?" Crutchie limped up to put a hand on his brother's shoulder.

Katherine looked over to the two boys who she'd known Jack would bring in first. "I'm perfect, Crutchie." She sighed and she reached out for his hand, which he took. He looked so happy to see them. Then she looked to the other boy in the room. "Race..." She breathed when she saw him.

Tears were glistening in the young man's eyes as he looked over to the baby in Pulitzer's arms. The smile on his face couldn't express the joy he had for the couple that had just had a child. Then Race looked up to Jack. "You're a Dad, Jack..." He breathed, his voice shaking with emotion. "You get ta have a family. And you better not ever let 'em go." He said, trying to convey to his friend that he couldn't let this little girl go through what all of them did growing up.

Jack smiled at his friend as the babe was lowered back to Katherine. Then he gently took the child into his arms, looking at his two brothers through the tears in his eyes. "These are my brothers, baby girl." He spoke gently down to the child. "This is your uncle Crutchie." He smiled up at the gimp. Then he looked over at his Italian friend. "And this is your uncle Race." He stated.

Katherine leaned her head onto her husband's shoulder, watching over her newborn baby with pure love. Then she looked up to the two boys. "Let them hold her, Jack." She insisted and her husband laughed and nodded before slowly standing up.

Race helped Crutchie down into a chair beside the couple and he gently set the seventeen year old's crutch on the ground next to him as Jack lowered the baby, their niece into his arms. Crutchie held her just right. He cradled her to his chest as he watched in amazement as the babe's hands latches onto his bigger fingers. Crutchie laughed as the girl did. "Hey, kid." He started, breathily as he smiled so wide and looked down on the child, then up at his family. "We're gonna take care of ya, sweetheart." He promised, in a whisper. "Always. You's've got a big family that are always gonna be there ta tell ya you'll be okay. I promise, we'll always be around."

Race smiled and he kneeled down next to Crutchie, not fully expecting the baby to be handed off to him. He quickly shook off his fear of holding the small thing as it was lowered into his arms. He felt a tug on the back of his mind telling him not to break it. But then he saw that sweet face and his own broke out into a smile. "Hey there, doll." He whispered. "You're just a little angle, aren't ya?" He noticed the child's big green eyes beginning to get heavy. "My God, she's beautiful." Race laughed, teary eyes and all.

Pulitzer smiled as he looked around the room. There weren't many times he got to be anything but a rich, greedy man. The guy who used a bunch of kids to make profit. Right now he got to be a father. A grandfather, even. And he got to watch these boys, these boys that he didn't give a damn about years ago, crying over a single child. Crying over the fact that one of their own would be able to have a family. He didn't know if he'd seen anything like it.

Katherine smiled and, carefully, took Race's hand in hers. The hand she'd almost broken a few hours ago. She gave his a gentle kiss and squeezed it in hers.

Jack looked up as the door was gently pushed open. He smiled as Davey walked into the room and smiled at him. "You got room for about twenty more?" He asked with some humor in his voice. And Jack smiled and wiped at his tears of joy before nodding.

"Let Medda in first." He asked, and his request was heard.

Medda practically burst through the door and hastily made her way over to the couple on the bed. "Hey, babies." She whispered, as she caught sight of the child in Racetrack's arms, the nineteen year old not even noticing the other boys in the room as he rocked the girl back and forth. She looked back at the couple. "How are ya feelin', honey?" She asked Katherine, moving a bit past Pulitzer as she grabbed the young woman's hand.

"We're just fine, Miss Medda. Mother and daughter are doing fine." Jack assured wrapping his arms back around his wife before looking up at his boys. He may not live at the lodging house anymore, but for now, he was still their leader. Race was still his second in command. At this point, he couldn't imagine life any other way.

Race gently handed the babe back to his older friend and leaned over her, smiling at her when she yawned and curled into her father. "This is your family, baby. They'll look out for you, and help ya through anythin' you're goin' through. They'll never leave ya, not for a second."

All the boys looked over at the child in awe. The younger kids were lifted up in the older ones' arms as the watched the baby sleep. Then Jack heard a question from one of them.

"What's her name, Jack?" Finch asked from the doorway.

"Yeah what should we call her?" Albert asked too.

Katherine looked down at the child as she took her back from Jack. She gently rocked her back and forth before answering, "Anne Marie." She smiled. "Anne for my grandmother, and Marie for Jack's mother." She explained. "Annie Kelly."

 **As always, thanks for reading! Make sure to tell me what you liked, what you didn't, what you'd change or what you'd improve by leaving me a review! Love you guys!**


	3. Chapter 3

**So, I should tell you guys, obviously the timeline is gonna be off. This is set a few years after the newsies strike. Three years, about. So let's just pretend for now that there's nothing wrong with the timeline. Cause really, I don't care. Annie isn't gonna be your typical Annie. She's gonna look like Jack and Katherine. She just has the big picture of Annie's story if that makes sense. Anyways...**

 **I'm sorry for the wait. But this chapter melts my heart and I'm glad you guys waited for it.**

 **Enjoy!**

Jack was losing it. He hadn't slept in days. His little princess was now two weeks old and Jack didn't know what to do any more. She was always wailing for something. If only he knew what.

Katherine had gotten home from work and decided that little Annie needed some of her Uncles' love. So she suggested that they get over to the lodging house to calm the small child. Unfortunately, as Katherine did not live there for over ten years, she had no idea how crazy the boys got before bed. Jack tried to warn her, but she wouldn't hear it. And when they opened the door, Katherine was stunned at the madness that was teenage boys.

"Albert, get your ass back here with my cigar!" Jack chuckled as he saw Race whip past him, trying to catch their red headed friend as he dodged all the newsies.

"I swear, I met this gal taday. She's a real doll. We's've got a date tomorra'." Romeo's same old story. The sixteen year old romantic always claimed he had a girl. Crutchie and Sniper sat by, listening to the ridiculous story of how he'd wooed her.

"Elmer, that ain't funny!" Another boy cried. "Gimme back my glasses!" Elmer passed the specs to Les who ran from Davey when the older boy made a grab for him.

Oh, Jack had to admit, he missed this time of the night. But he looked over and saw Katherine waiting for him to do something. So he wiped the goofy grin off of his face. "'Ey! Boys!"

Every newsie in the room seemed to stop and look to the door. All except for Race, of course, who had to snatch the cigar back from Albert's hand before hitting his cap down over his eyes. Then the gambler's attention went over to his friend.

"Hey! It's Jack!" Tommy Boy went up and clasped his leaders shoulder.

"What brings ya here at this time of the night, Jackie?" Crutchie limped over to the couple just as the child in Katherine's arms began to weep once more. The eighteen year old leaned over the babe and frowned.

Jack sighed. "We was hopin' for some help puttin' her ta sleep," he explained, finally as every boy went silent at the screams. It made some of them uncomfortable to hear babies cry like their daughter was. But hey, Jack needed help.

Sniper stood up on a chair. "I's got an idea!" He exclaimed, a smirk on his smug face. Then he looked over to the second in command. "Have Race sing her that lullaby he used ta sing the littles when we's couldn't fall asleep," the boy suggested. The Italian gave him a good glare, not noticing how Jack's face lit up with hope. When Race turned back to him, his eyes widened and he shook his head.

"No, Kelly." Race put his hands up and backed away. "I ain't had ta do that for years. I don't wanna-"

"Please, Race?" Jack begged, walking closer to his friend. "I ain't slept in days, and I'm tired," He groaned, exasperated.

"Yeah, cmon Race, ya used ta do it all the time!" Crutchie encouraged. A chorus of, "Cmon Race," rang out through the lodging house. But Katherine just stood there in awe.

"Wait a minute," she paused, stepping into the crowd of boys who all stood around Race. "Racetrack Higgins... can sing?" She asked, clearly not buying it. One of the toughest, closed off, smart mouth boys she'd ever met, singing? This had to be some kind of joke. But Jack just looked back at her and smirked.

"Used ta put some of the kids ta sleep with an old song his motha' used ta sing ta him." The man smirked, knowing his wife couldn't believe it. Then he turned back to his friend and looked him dead in the eye. "Please?"

Katherine knew her boys very well. She knew how to get them to bend to her rules. So she took the child in her arms and walked her over to the baby's uncle, unexpectedly placing the small girl in Race's arms. The nineteen year old was shocked for a moment before he looked down at that sweet face. His heart practically melted. Then he looked back at Jack, who was smirking at him as he held the crying child. Race wanted nothing more than to fight with him, but that little face was enough to make him stutter. "Why'd ya have to be such a little angle, doll face?" Race groaned in defeat and all the boys cheered around him.

"Ya really know how ya push Race's buttons, don't ya Plumber?" Crutchie smirked as all the boys walked over to the single couch in the room, ready to hear Race sing again. Katherine just smiled and gave Crutchie a mischievous look. The gimp just laughed.

All the boys crowded around Race. Jack smiled as he watched, remembering when they were younger and the younger kids would climb on Race's lap, falling asleep against the normally very aggressive boy. It shocked Race the first few times it happened. He hadn't been so accustomed to touch when he first started singing kids to sleep. Those are some of the things Jack would never forget.

Race looked down at the small child in his arms. He hadn't done this in so long, it was almost forgotten to him. Then, as the child snuggled close to him, he found himself smiling.

 _Ya might go far away_

 _Ya might stay real nearby..._

 _Might sit around drinkin' coffee_

 _And watch as the world passes by..._

 _Maybe in a house all hidden by a hill..._

 _While ya sit playin' piano_

 _Be glad ya ain't payin' a bill..._

Katherine smiled at the lyrics. She leaned on her husband who stood nearby and heard Crutchie leaning over to her. "Every boy in the house loves this song," he explained. "Race used ya sing it ta us and tell us when we grew up, we'd be livin' just like his mama said he would live when he grew up."

Katherine found herself tearing up at those sweet words as she continued to listen to the soft song.

 _Betcha'll stay young_

 _Better stay smart_

 _Bet you'll collect things like ashtrays and art_

Race smiled as the next words were sung by not only him, but by Jack as well.

 _Betcha'll be good_

 _Why shouldn't you be?_

More of the newsies joined in on the next words and Katherine knew right then, this song wasn't just any song. It was a promise.

 _But when your scared,_

 _You'll always have me._

Race smiled as he took over once more, the baby snuggling into his chest as he sang some more and the cries almost dissolving.

 _So baby, close your eyes_

 _I'll be here when you wake_

 _I'll be here callin' you baby_

 _Baby_

Race smiled and looked around the room, smiling at all the boys' faces as they had content looks on every one of them.

 _Betcha you'll read_

 _Betcha you'll sew_

 _Maybe you'll have a big closet of clothes_

 _Maybe your witty or a little bit shy_

 _But I won't care_

Jack pulled Katherine close as he sang along with the next words.

 _As long as you're mine_

Race smiled at his friend and nodded, before giving the, almost sleeping, child a gentle kiss on the forehead.

 _So maybe now this song's the last one of its kind_

 _But I'll be here callin' you baby,_

 _Baby_

"Goodnight Annie."

 **I can't even tell you guys how much fun I had writing this. It was so much fun and it puts a smile on my face to think about this being a thing. I hope you guys enjoyed it as much as I did.**

 **Please be sure to check out my other fics! Be sure to leave reviews and tell me what you think of them! Thank you! I also love requests so if you got one, send it my way! Thank you!**

 **As always, thanks for reading! Make sure to tell me what you liked, what you didn't, what you'd change or what you'd improve by leaving me a review! Love ya babes!**


	4. Chapter 4

**It had been such a long time since I've revisited this story. I don't get so many reviews for it so as of right now it is less important because not many people are begging me to update. But I am so grateful for those of you who are reading this story! It is a lot of fun to write!**

 **Enjoy!**

Jack rocked his daughter back and forth. She'd been happily sleeping for the past few minutes. Jack had treasured those past few minutes. He felt like he hadn't slept in ages. His baby was only about a month and a half old now. With him and his wife having to go back to work, watching her had been a struggle.

He took over mostly. He loved every second he had with his daughter. The way she would smile at him made his heart melt and the way she grasped onto his fingers and his shirt never ceased to make him smile. The child was his pride and joy, but sometimes, he needed a break. This was one of those times.

He hadn't been to work in three days. Katherine would always offer to stay home, care for Annie, and let Jack have a day to go to work and hang out with the boys, but Jack told her it was fine and she would have her heartfelt goodbye with the child before she ran off to work.

Jack sighed. He cradled the babe in his arms. He wished his boys were there to help him. But they'd been having troubles of their own. Race was juggling beaten boys and lost money while trying to defend himself and work his night job out at a bar all at the same time. There was a gang in town and the newsies were their primary target. It made Jack nervous. He wanted to protect his boys. He wanted to be out selling with them, keeping them all where he could see them, just like old times. But he couldn't. Luckily, they knew what was good for them. When they got hurt too bad, they knew not to try and hide it. They knew to go straight to Jack's apartment. Unless their name was Racetrack Higgins.

Jack groaned when the knock on the door startled his kid awake. "Shush baby... you're alright... everything's gonna be okay sweetheart." Oh Jack never got sick of that beautiful smile that would peak out whenever he kissed her on the head. _Katherine's_ smile. And he couldn't be tired or irritated anymore, just because that child, _his_ little girl looked up at him with so much admiration. And he would never get tired of it.

Jack held the baby gently in his arms as he walked over to the door to answer it. He expected it to be one of the boys, after all he didn't have many other friends. Bill and Darcy would occasionally pop by for a visit but never when Katherine wasn't around. What he didn't expect was for Crutchie to be standing there almost completely supporting another, taller boy as he almost fell to the ground.

Race was clutching onto his side. His left cheek was swollen and bruised and he looked like he couldn't barely walk. He was hunched over. Jack could guess he had some broken or bruised ribs. He had a split lip and his eyes were drooping.

"What the hell happened, Race?" Jack demanded, holding his baby still, not so sure she should be exposed to the sight of her uncle all beaten like he was. He cradled her tiny head to his shoulder, letting his fingers brush across her short, soft brown hair.

Race opened his mouth to talk and then closed it. He raised up his hand and gave Jack a gesture to give him a minute. Jack did not miss the way his friend tried to stand and ended up letting more of his weight fall on the gimp boy next to him.

Jack rolled his eyes. "How long?" He wasn't asking Race. He was asking Crutchie.

The younger boy seemed a bit nervous, but ended up letting the two words slip out of his mouth anyways. "Three days."

Jack shook his head and scoffed, wanting to scold the kid. But then he heard the whimper of his baby. And he just jerked his head in the direction of the old couch in the main room of the apartment. Crutchie all but dragged his older friend to it.

Race cried out a bit as his gimp brother let him fall back onto the surface. He clutched his ribs tighter and frantically looked around, trying to remember where he was and how he'd gotten there. Then his eyes landed on Jack. Even though Race was nineteen, even though he was the trouble maker that never really had a knack for following the rules, there was something about his big brother's stare that made him feel like a misbehaved child all over again.

Jack helped Crutchie sit down next to Race who was looking at him with a wide eyed expression. He was about to get chewed out. And he damn well knew it. He just hoped Jack at least let the baby lay in another room. No one else looked at him the way that little girl did. And he never wanted her to lose that look in her eye when he held her.

Jack sighed as he glared down at his beaten brother. Race should have known better than this. He was practically the leader now. What kind of an example was he setting? He shook his head. He had to help him. He knew it. So he bend down to Crutchie. "Hold her, will ya?" The crip did without a word and Jack walked into the bathroom, gathering up rags and water to clean out the wounds that were causing Race pain.

"Hey angel," Crutchie smiled as he set down the small girl on his lap. She smiled up at him. He couldn't help but laugh when she started grabbing for his fingers. "How's our little Annie?"

Race watched his friend and their niece play. He allowed himself to smile before Jack returned to the room and it was wiped off his face. "Why the hell would you be goin' out and sellin' like this fer three days, Racer? I's told ya not ta hide things like this from me." Race didn't respond. Only let Jack kneel in front of him and help him out of his shirt, staring at the injuries that haunted the boy's chest. Cuts old and new. Some of them were all too familiar. Others just made Jack angry. "Who the hell did this to ya?"

Crutchie pulled his niece closer. She giggled, and all three boys were glad she was still a clueless, innocent child. "It happened when he was leavin' the bar the otha' night. Didn't tell me, neither."

"Race, you know betta than that," Jack scolded, wiping at some of the dried blood on the boy's chest, causing him to hiss, suddenly, as he collapsed into the cushion of the couch. "Stop movin', kid."

Race bit his lip. He reopened the wound he had there, causing it to bleed again. He didn't care. Jack noticed. "Who did this, Race?" he asked again, his voice more stern this time.

"A couple a' thugs," Race responded, not looking at his brother.

Jack caught the glare Crutchie gave him. And Race was staring to get frustrated. But he grumbled anyways, reminding the boys of when they had been younger and Race had been ashamed to admit he'd been beat by the Delanceys who always seemed to be a single step ahead of him.

"Tell him the whole story, Race." The gimp boy never demanded things from his brothers. But he knew what happened and Jack was starting to get a little bit worried at what Race wasn't telling him.

Before Race spoke again, he held out his arms to the small child Crutchie was holding. Reluctantly, the babe was gently handed to him and he held her close. He winced as she squirmed around in his embrace, but smiled as she snuggled up to his bare chest. "Hey there doll face..."

"Race, what's goin' on?" Jack was nervous. He didn't know if he wanted the whole thing explained to him. But Race's pained eyes met his and the words slipped out of his mouth.

"They's comin' fer you, Jackie..." he spoke in the most serious tone anyone had ever heard from him. "These thugs are comin' afta' us ta get ta you."

 **Whoa. I know. I'm so sorry for the shortness.**

 **Please be sure to go check out my other stories! It means a lot to me!**

 **As always, thanks for reading! Make sure to tell me what you liked, what you didn't, what you'd change or what you'd improve by leaving a review! Love ya babes!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Whoa... it's been _months_ since I've posted on this... **

**Well...**

 **I hope you all enjoy this.**

 **Or ya know... maybe you won't. Honestly, I don't know at this point.**

 _It was late. The streets were quiet. And Race thought nothing of that as he locked the door of the bar he'd been working at recently. Being a newsie only got him so far. He needed to help support his brothers. And he took what he could get. And what he could get was a night shift at a bar down the street._

 _It should've been a normal night. Just like any other. He'd run home and and crash in bed after counting every head in the house, making sure all of his boys were safe and secure, just like Jack had done every night when he'd been in charge. So he locked the door to the bar, his keys jingling together in his hands. And he went to make his way home._

 _That was when he was trapped in a jungle of rough, heavy arms that grasped onto him and dragged him backwards. Just as he might've screamed, a hand clamped over his mouth, muffling his protests until he was in an alleyway, away from help or anyone who would care. An arm wrapped around his throat as he struggled to get away and other hands grabbed onto his thrashing legs. He felt himself being choked as he was being roughly immobilized. And then suddenly he was shoved to the ground, hitting a brick wall with his back and he tried to roll over and get away. But the boy wasn't quite fast enough._

 _There were four of them. At least, of what Race could tell. He was a little busy being pummeled at the moment. He couldn't really make out faces. And when he tried to sit up, a foot collided with his face. He cried out, closing his eyes as warm, thick liquid began seeping from his nose and lip._

 _"I don' got any money!" Race cried, trying to defend himself and get them to realize he had nothing to offer. But he feared for what they might do when they found out he didn't have any cash. Still, he screamed out as he brought his arms up in front of his beaten face and tried to roll over, only to scream when his ribs shot sharp pains through his body._

 _"Shut it,_ Higgins

 _The boy froze at that. He felt people grabbing him to hold him down as he tried to look up and figure out who was standing over him. The voice didn't sound familiar. And Race sure as hell couldn't see anything through his swollen eye. The other was being pushed to the ground. All he could make out were dangerous, looming shadows of men grabbing his wrists and ankles. "Who the hell are you?" His voice shook as he asked, knowing blood was falling from his mouth. He couldn't do anything about it._

 _Before anyone could stop it, the man that had spoken first was quickly kneeling down next to him, making sure his harsh lips were right at the gambler's ear. "Listen and listen good,_ rat _!" the guy hissed. Race jumped out the volume of the voice. He could feel the breath on his skin and he struggled against the men that held him down. "You tell Jack Kelly that he can't waltz 'round like he owns the place, undastand?"_

 _Again, Race tried to stand. He was rewarded with a kick to his already burning side. He let out a broken cry as his body gave in. He didn't struggle. "Who the hell are you...?" he asked through clenched teeth._

 _"Someone who's sending Kelly a warning. We've jumped ten of you now. The next one ain't gonna just be a beatin', got it?!" The guy gave him one more kick to the side. "You tell Kelly ta get away from Miss Pulitzer."_

 _Race felt them throw him down before he could even register it. And then the whole world went black._

"Next thing I know I's wakin' up with the sun and draggin' my ass home. Didn't tell no one what happened cause I wanted ta know who it was first," Race finished explaining, his eyes distant as he recalled that night.

"Yeah, all I knew was that he couldn't get outta bed!" Crutchie scolded. He looked down at the small child in Race's arms and gently pried the babe from his fingers so that their big brother could actually clean the beaten boy off.

Jack gave Race a stern look. "Really, kid?"

"I didn't wanna worry no one!" The boy put his hands up in defense. Then he winced, grasping onto his side in pain. He seethed through it, trying not to cry out and scare his little niece who was currently being rocked back and forth by her other uncle.

Jack sighed in frustration. What the hell was he supposed to do now? Someone was after him. Warning him about something. Warning him to leave Katherine. By why? It didn't make sense.

They got Race cleaned up. Jack had to set a few ribs. Something he kept telling Race he needed to stop having to do. The boy was now laying on the couch, completely exhausted, as Jack bounced with Annie in his arms. His other friend was dozing in a chair as Jack watched over his boys. All was well for the moment.

Until his baby started wailing, that is.

"No no no no, baby... Shshshshsh it's okay..." the shrieks shocked Race fully awake, causing him to try and sit up much too fast. Jack pushed him back down before trying to rock Annie back and forth, trying to quiet her.

"She's probably hungry..." the boy groaned as the pain came back. He closed his eyes right as his niece kept crying. She didn't care who she woke up in the meantime.

The father in the room shushed his child and rolled his eyes at his brother. Crutchie was up in seconds, trying to figure out what was going on. Then the door swung open. Katherine was inside in a rush, running to kiss Jack and take her baby from his arms. The child quieted down almost immediately, grasping at her mamma before smaller cried began.

It was like chaos was just bound to follow Jack wherever he went. Because as he looked at Katherine, he could tell that she was frantic. And as her eyes met his, he knew something had her spooked. "What's wrong, Ace? You okay?" He was concerned at that point. In a day everything seemed to be falling apart. And Katherine's next words confused him even more.

"Jack... we have to take Annie somewhere. Somewhere away. Now." Jack's heart stopped. Was his daughter in some kind of danger?

"What the hell are you talkin' about Kath-"

"He's back, Jack!" Katherine screamed, standing with her child as she cried and grasped at her mother's hair. And Jack stayed silent, waiting for more of an explanation. And tears filled her eyes when she spoke. "Ryan... Ryan's back..."

Little did Jack know those words would give way to his nightmares.

 **As always, thanks for reading! Make sure to tell me what you liked, what you didn't, what you'd change or what you'd improve by leaving me a review! Love ya, babes!**


	6. Chapter 6

**... so like... it hasn't been a year yet...**

 **Please don't kill me!**

 **I'm so sorry! I completely ignored this story for so long, but it's back by demand.**

 **So please! Enjoy!**

Running was something Jack had missed. He loved it. It always brought him a smile, especially when it was messing with the Delanceys or Wiesel. He always got away.

Now, with his child and his wife frantic in front of him, running was the absolute last thing he wanted to consider. "Ryan? As in-"

"Yes, Jack!" Katherine forced out, tears filling up in her eyes.

Immediately, Jack rushed up to her, securing her in his embrace, their child in between them as he did what he could to reassure his girl. "Hey, hey... it's okay... we're gonna... we're gonna figure this out..."

"Who the hell is Ryan?"

Katherine sighed, burying her face in her husband's shoulder at Race's voice. "The man that I was supposed to marry. My father picked him..." she explained quietly, shaking her head at the thought all over again. What kind of a life would that be? Signing her life away to a complete stranger. Being a woman was hard.

Not with Jack. With Jack, nothing was truly difficult. With Jack she wasn't just a woman. She was human. They were equals. With Ryan, things would've been different. With Ryan, she wouldn't have had a say.

"You're father _picked him_..." Crutchie repeated, almost in disbelief.

"Yes," she replied simply, her voice as annoyed and frightened as ever as she recalled. She hated that man. "Ryan wasn't happy that I met Jack. And he made it very clear, too," she spat out bitterly, remembering his harsh words and the actions he'd tried to take. "I wish we'd known the bastard he was before my father had tried to chose him to be my husband..."

Jack scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Yeah. Only threatened to kill me half a dozen times..." He hated that man. But then he looked down at his wife, wide eyed. "Wait, how do you know he's back? Did he hurt you? Are you okay?"

Squinting her eyes in confusion, Katherine reached up to stop his worried hands from checking her over. "What? No. I just saw him out on the streets walking home..." she replied. But she was leaving out part of the story. Jack could always tell. "Why would you think-?" She cut herself off, turning to look at the two boys lounging on her couch.

Race truly did look like hell.

"Race..." she sighed, handing her baby back to her husband and making her way over to the boy.

Race waved her off. "I'm fine, Ace," he insisted, his voice still a bit weak. But she checked him over anyways. It was no wonder she'd ended up with Jack. They were perfect for each other. He hissed when she accidentally brushed up against his ribs, but he just shook his head when she looked at him in concern. "Seriously... I'm fine..."

"You think Ryan did this?" Crutchie asked, leaning closer to his older friend to try and soothe his pain.

With a sigh, Katherine shook her head. "It's not just Ryan..." she admitted, her heart clenching as she knew she had to tell Jack everything, everything she'd seen at the very least. "Jack... I saw..." This was hard. She hadn't known exactly how hard this would be.

Her love still had nightmares about the place the called The Refuge. He still screamed out at night about a man that tormented him. So many kids were taken to that place. Only so many made it out.

"What, sweetheart? What did ya see?" he asked gently, now concerned, placing a hand on the woman's shoulder and cradling Annie to him at the same time.

"Did you know that Snyder was out of jail?"

The room became tense in an instant. All of these boys had been to that hell on earth. Jack had met Race in there. She remembered the awful story. Snyder had tried to use them against each other. Jack would always jump in front of the whip for the younger boy who'd only been taken in for getting lost after his family left him. Crutchie's story was different yet equally terrible. After the strike he hadn't been able to walk for a while. They'd hurt him badly and gotten into his head. Told him he was worthless. Told him he wouldn't last another year.

"I-I saw Ryan... with him... I think they're planning something..."

Jack felt like he couldn't breathe. This wasn't supposed to be how it happened. He wasn't a kid anymore. He was married with a child to look out for. He wasn't supposed to be scared of the man that trapped him when he was young. He was supposed to be the strong one. The one who protected his family from anything that could harm them.

He looked down at the tiny thing in his arms. His baby, too young and innocent to understand what was happening. She was sniffling, her cries calming a bit as he bounced her a little in his arms. "What the hell are we supposed to do?" the man asked, not even looking up from those beautiful green eyes he feel in love with the second he'd seen them.

Katherine began pacing a bit. "The police won't do much, we know that..." she mused. These people hadn't done anything yet besides beat on a couple newsies. The cops couldn't care less about that. She was right. They were basically on their own right now.

"Why don't you go away for a little while?" Crutchie asked, like it was obvious. "Ya know? Santa Fe?" That place that Jack still had never gone. That place that he'd been dreaming of going his entire life.

"Crutchie's right... if Ryan threatened to kill you and now he's beating on newsies... it might be for the best..." Race agreed, though they both sounded a little broken about the idea. They were terrified that if Jack went, he might never come back.

As much as Jack hated to admit it to himself, he hated that idea too. Sure, New York wasn't necessarily perfect for him, but that's where his family was. That's where his brothers were. He wasn't sure he was ready to leave them.

"Not yet..." he decided. "Not until I figure out what the hell these people are tryin' ta do..."

They couldn't touch his family anymore. They wouldn't. Not on his watch.

 **I know. It was short. And I'm sorry. But I'm gonna try to put this story back in my regular updates. So, stay tuned!**

 **As always, thanks for reading! Make sure to tell me what you liked, what you didn't, what you'd change or what you'd improve by leaving me a review! Love ya, friends!**


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